Who we are

Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to develop and maintain permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for low and moderate-income households. 

Created in 2020, VSCLT is the first Community Land Trust in Virginia designed to operate statewide. We currently operate in a large number of jurisdictions including Fairfax County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, Henry County, the City of Fredericksburg, and others.

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Meet the Team

  • Michelle Winters, CEO

    Michelle joined VSCLT as CEO in 2024 after serving as a board member since 2021. Michelle is a housing policy and strategy expert with experience leading organizations and programs at the local and national level focused on affordability, sustainability, and innovation in the housing system. She served most recently as Acting Director of Loudoun County’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Executive Director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions in Arlington. She previously served as a visiting fellow for housing at the Urban Land Institute and held positions at NeighborWorks America, LISC, and Fannie Mae. Michelle has served as a member and chair of Arlington’s Housing Commission and as a board member at HousingForward Virginia and the Langston Boulevard Alliance. She received her BA in Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech and her Masters in City Planning from MIT. 

  • Thomas Dombrowski, Chief Operating Officer

    Thomas Dombrowski is a seasoned housing and community development leader with three decades of experience advancing affordable housing solutions. As a former Housing Outreach Manager at Freddie Mac, he spearheads strategic partnerships, financial education initiatives, and training programs that expand access to homeownership for underserved communities. Tom is a recognized expert in mortgage product education, nonprofit engagement, and racial equity strategies. Tom is currently appointed to HUD’s OHC Model Industry Standards Advisory Committee. Tom previously served as the Vice-Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Housing Counseling Development Work Group. He works to bridge policy, practice, and impact that drive innovation across the housing ecosystem.  In addition to 20 years at Freddie Mac Tom has held roles with NeighborWorks America, UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) and Norwest Mortgage.

Board of Directors

Officers

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Marcia Elaine Joseph, Chair

Marcia currently serves as Project Manager for Habitat for Humanity Virginia, Vice Chair Albemarle County Board of Zoning Appeals, Junior Warden Trinity Episcopal Church, Religious Committee member local branch NAACP.

Her past accomplishments include: sole owner Joseph Associates LLC, Landscape Architecture/Planning firm, Albemarle County Architecture Review Board member and former Chair, Albemarle County Planning Commission member and former Chair, Albemarle County Acquisition of Conservation Easements member, Albemarle County Design Planner and Zoning staff member, City of Charlottesville Zoning Administrator, Greater Charlottesville Habitat Board member, Habitat Virginia Board member and former Chair.

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Jim is a geographer at Rust Belt Analytica. Jim studies long cycle economic change, innovation, migration, and geopolitics. He is currently the chair of Loudoun Habitat for Humanity’s board and the Loudoun County Housing Advisory Board. He and his family have lived in Leesburg, Virginia for over a decade after moving from the Greater Denver area in Colorado.

Jim Russell, Immediate Past Chair

Brian received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in May 2025 and is a law clerk at Klein Hornig LLP, a law firm centered on affordable housing and community development. Previously, he served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Habitat for Humanity Virginia, where he researched and developed statewide programs including a capital fundraising campaign, loan fund, and the VSCLT. Brian received his B.A. in Political and Social Thought in 2019 from the University of Virginia, where he wrote his senior thesis about segregation, gentrification, and affordable housing in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Brian Cameron, Vice Chair

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Ivy joined Habitat for Humanity D.C. & Northern Virginia in 2018. Ivy is responsible for controls and budgets designed to mitigate risk, maintain the accuracy of financial results, cash management, as well as operational and management reporting. In addition, she manages family programs operations. Before joining our team, Ivy spent eleven years with Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte. Ivy brings almost 25 years of accounting experience to the organization; she is a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia and has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Ivy Johnson, Treasurer

John is Senior Adviser and Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Piedmont Environmental Council. John’s specialties include zoning and land use, land conservation, local government administration, personnel, purchasing, intergovernmental relations. He has served in several senior government roles including as County Administrator, Chief Administrative Officer and Zoning Administrator for Rappahannock County, Virginia.

John McCarthy, Secretary

  • Betsy Dietel

    Elizabeth “Betsy” Dietel is a seasoned community strategist and philanthropic advisor with over 40 years of experience dedicated to building equitable, resilient communities. As a Senior Partner at Dietel, Pickering & Partners, she has spent the last 18 years shepherding philanthropic capital toward high-impact initiatives, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing and sustainable land use.

  • Franklin DeWitt House

    DeWitt House currently serves as the Vice President for Community Investment at the Harvest Foundation, where he leverages over a decade of philanthropic expertise to drive strategic grant-making and community partnerships. Prior to his leadership at the Foundation, Mr. House dedicated over 30 years to the field of education, most notably serving as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction for Henry County Public Schools.

  • Overton McGehee

    Overton McGehee is Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Virginia. Habitat for Humanity of Virginia, as the state office of Habitat for Humanity International, supports the efforts of local affiliates by providing training, technical assistance, and other resources that will empower them to serve their clientele more effectively and efficiently. Habitat Virginia also advocates at state and national levels for legislation and funding to expand affordable housing options across Virginia.

  • Councilman Cleon Long

    Cleon Long has served on the Newport News City Council since 2023. He is a native of Newport News and attended college and graduate school in Atlanta. Cleon works as a nuclear engineer in addition to his council service.  Since his election, he has been a driving force behind the city’s strategic housing initiatives, leading the completion of Newport News’ first comprehensive Housing Study and the creation of the Strategic Housing Initiatives Plan (SHIP).

  • Christopher Ptomey

    Christopher Ptomey is a distinguished nonprofit leader and policy advocate with over two decades of experience driving mission impact and legislative change within the housing and community development sectors. Currently the Principal of PT Policy, LLC, Mr. Ptomey provides strategic counsel to nonprofits and government entities. He previously served as Executive Director at the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing and Sr. Director of US Government Relations at Habitat for Humanity International.

  • Chief Diane Shields

    Chief Diane Shields, elected as the leader of the Monacan Indian Nation in June 2023, brings over three decades of administrative expertise and dedicated advocacy to her role. Her leadership was instrumental in the Tribe’s pursuit of federal recognition, achieved in 2018. She has a strong background in records management and public administration, previously serving with the Palm Bay Police Department and Central Virginia Community College.

  • Shauntrice Williams

    Shauntrice Williams has been CEO of the Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg Habitat for Humanity affiliate since 2024. She has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, previously serving in senior executive roles at the YMCA and Salvation Army. Her academic credentials—a B.S. in Business Economics and Finance from Liberty University and a B.A. in Practical Ministries—support a leadership philosophy rooted in strategic planning, operational efficiency, and collaborative advocacy.